Still, their torment eventually reached a level she could no longer withstand.
It was around the time two seasons had passed since she entered the imperial palace.
Talia descended to the dining hall for breakfast and was suddenly seized by a strange sense of dread.
Far more servants than usual had gathered to attend her that morning.
The sight of the maids lined up along the walls filled her with the ominous feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
Yet contrary to her expectations, the servants behaved politely, and the table was laden with unusually abundant food.
Talia stared blankly at the silver plate before her.
Instead of the rock-hard bread she usually received, the kitchen maid brought freshly baked golden bread with butter.
Soon afterward, roasted quail and steaming hot stew were placed before her.
For months she had eaten nothing but horrifyingly miserable meals day after day.
Seeing a hot stew filled with ingredients instead of the thin soup cold as rainwater nearly brought tears to her eyes from sheer humiliation.
Talia slowly looked around at the servants.
Dozens of eyes were watching her reaction.
Perhaps they no longer wished to punish me.
Maybe they had finally decided to forgive my existence and show me kindness.
Talia picked up her spoon.
Then she scooped up the steaming broth and put it into her mouth.
The rich flavors of butter, milk, and vegetables spread warmly across her tongue with a soft sweetness.
The taste of warm food for the first time in so long awakened a violent hunger inside her.
Forgetting all dignity, she hurriedly shoveled the stew into her mouth.
How long had she continued eating like that?
Suddenly, she tasted something strange.
The foulness was far too revolting to be dismissed as meat odor not fully masked by spices.
Frowning deeply, she stared down into the stew.
At that moment, giggling laughter sounded behind her.
Talia whipped her head around.
All the maids had their eyes lowered expressionlessly.
But she could clearly see the corners of their mouths twitching.
Cold sweat instantly spread down her spine.
After hesitating for a long while, Talia used her spoon to stir through the bowl.
As she pushed aside the large chunks of food, she saw something heavy sunk at the very bottom of the deep dish.
Something like a lump of meat.
No.
It was not meat.
Talia lifted the blackened object with her spoon and froze in horror.
Inside the thick broth, a swollen gray rat dangled limply with its mouth hanging open.
She could not even scream.
She tumbled from her chair onto the floor and vomited up the stew.
Even after throwing up more than she had eaten, the retching would not stop.
The disgusting smell filling her nose only grew stronger.
It felt as though the taste of the dead rat had fused permanently to her tongue.
Jamming her fingers into her throat and scraping at her tongue, she desperately forced out bile long after there was nothing left to vomit.
How long had she remained collapsed on the floor retching?
Through tear-blurred vision, she saw a pair of feet moving around the dining table.
Talia slowly lifted her head in a daze.
The maid in charge of the kitchen calmly cleared away the dishes as though nothing at all had happened.
The other servants also busily moved around the table, wiping it clean and collecting the plates.
As though they could not even see her sprawled over her own vomit.......